§ Captain BOWYERasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that the Amendment to the Pensions Act, 1922, declared as final awards made between March, 1919, and August, 1921, and that the men concerned were never notified personally, other than by a notice in the Press of this fact, and that thousands of men can never have seen these Press 538W notices, and, therefore, are still unaware that, their time limit for appealing expires early next month; what steps he proposes to take to get, these men acquainted; why personal notices were never served; and whether he will have personal notices sent now and the time extended for appeal?
§ Major TRYONThe hon. and gallant Member refers, I assume, to that limited class of awards which were made final by the War Pensions Act, 1921. The Regulations made under the Act were, as regards these awards, expressly drawn in the interests of disabled men, so that the year's right of appeal only commenced to run a year and a half after the latest of the awards in question could have been made. It was not possible to give individual notice because the Ministry had no knowledge of the men concerned once the award had ceased to be paid. But notices were issued in six issues of the chief London and provincial daily and weekly papers, and I have caused posters to be placed in all local offices and hospitals of the Ministry and copies have been circulated to all offices of the British Legion. I regret that I am unable to adopt the suggestion in the last part of the question.